How common is Back Pain?
Back pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal conditions affecting people in Ireland and can cause significant grief. Thankfully, serious and permanent damage to your back is very rare. However, even a minor back strain can be very painful and can affect your daily activities, sometimes causing people to take time off work.
Back Facts
- Your spine is one of the strongest parts of your body. It is reinforced by strong ligaments and powerful muscles which provide strength and flexibility to your back.
- Most simple back strains do not cause any lasting damage
- Very few back problems ever need surgery
- While X-rays and MRIs are useful in detecting serious injuries, they can often be misleading. You may have heard the word ‘degeneration’ being mentioned. These are normal changes that happen with age, like wrinkles on your skin or grey hair. It does not refer to damage or arthritis.
What Causes Back Pain?
Your doctor of physiotherapist often may not be able to pinpoint exactly what is causing your back pain, which can be frustrating. This is usually a sign there is no serious damage to the spine.
Most pain comes from the muscles, ligaments and small joints in your back. Your back was designed for movement and needs lots of movement to stay healthy and pain-free. When the back is not moving and working enough, it can become deconditioned. By moving the back again, it helps the back to recover.
How can Physiotherapy Help?
At West Limerick Physiotherapy and Neuro Rehabilitation Clinic our experienced Chartered Physiotherapists can help to identify the cause of your back pain or rule out any serious injury.
We can offer treatment techniques that can help to manage the pain and improve your quality of life such as:
- Advice and Education
- Massage and Manual Techniques
- Heat Therapy
- Deep Dry Needling
- Graduated Exercise Programmes
We also offer private treatment rooms for individual attention, hands-on treatment approach and convenient parking.
What Type of Exercise Helps?
Regular physical activity provides many benefits for your whole body including:
- Developing muscles
- Maintaining flexibility
- Improves bone strength
- Improves fitness
- Releases natural pain-relieving and ‘feel-good’ chemicals
Most low-impact exercises can help with your back pain:
- Stretches
- Strengthening
- Aerobic exercise
Examples of Beneficial Exercises
- Walking
- Swimming
- Exercise bike
- Pilates
- Yoga
Jessie Ryan 2017, Chartered Physiotherapist, MISCP.
References:
TSO. (2002). The Back Book. Available: http://www.nrmc.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/The-Back-Book.pdf. Last accessed 06/02/2017.
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